Bare Necessities leads intimate e-tailers

Report

n the 1990's, friends Noah Wrubel and Bill Richardson had the idea to create a lingerie store offering the same care and attention as a boutique.
But their retail store wouldn't be the brick and mortar shop of that time period; it would be on the web to cater to women globally. In 1998, the Carnegie Mellon University graduates launched BareNecessities.com, an e-commerce boutique that has continued to evolve over the years.
Today, BareNecessities.com is one of the best-known online intimate apparel boutiques, with customers throughout the United States, as well as Canada; Australia; Britain; India; and the Philippines, according to web information company, Alexa.com. As of November 12, Alexa.com ranked the site above Freshpair.com and HerRoom.com in terms of traffic.
BareNecessities.com carries over 125 brands in every intimate apparel and related category out there; including lingerie; sleepwear; shapewear; hosiery and socks; activewear; swimwear; and even footwear and clothing. The site also carries men's underwear; sleepwear; socks; footwear; shapewear; and other styles. Bra sizes run from 28 to 58, A through N.
According to Dan Sackrowitz, vice president of marketing and business development for the company, best-selling brands tend to be those that are well-known; such as Wacoal, Bali and Spanx. The website also has a "top 10 bras" feature, where it ranks the number one bra per category. This includes the sexiest bra, currently Maidenform's Like Magic Extreme Push-up; and best full-figured bra, currently Elomi's Suzie Plunge Underwire bra. Some of the other bra categories are best sports bra and best smaller-busted bra.
In current trends, Maureen Stabnau, senior vice president, said that the bra business is getting stronger again, with full-busted styles increasingly in demand. Full-busted sports bras continue to evolve, with manufacturers like Anita, Wacoal and Panache specifically servicing this customer. Fashion colors and prints are also picking up, she said, following a largely nude and black-driven 2009.
And although the company has "always had a strong hosiery business," Stabnau said it has picked up more this season, with more women than ever sporting opaque and textured tights and leggings. "There are a lot of women out there that are realizing [they ] can really update their look with hosiery," she said.
And as the holiday season has approached, customers have been gravitating toward sleepwear and loungewear, with a particular interest in cashmere.
For further information, contact Bare Necessities by calling (877) 728-9272.

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